(1) Field of the invention
The present invention generally relates to a process for forming an image on a novel recording medium, and more particularly to a process for forming an image on a novel recording medium, the recording medium having a characteristic in which a receding contact angle decreases when the recording medium is heated in a condition in which the recording medium is in contact with a solid material such as metal.
(2) Description of related Art
An offset printing method using a printing plates without water (water for moisturizing) is a typical one of methods in which a recording medium is divided into areas where it is easy for liquid to adhere thereto and area where it is hard for the liquid to adhere thereto. However, in this offset printing method, it is difficult to incorporate a process for manufacturing printing plates from original plates and a process for printing from the printing plates into a single apparatus. This makes it difficult to have a compact printing apparatus.
For example, even in a case of relatively compact offset printing apparatus, a plate making apparatus and a printing apparatus are separated.
To eliminate this fault of the offset printing method, there has been proposed a recording method and apparatus in which areas where it is easy for the liquid to adhere thereto and areas where it is hard for the liquid to adhere thereto can be formed in accordance with image information and in which the recording medium can be repeatedly used ( a process for forming an image is reversible). The following are some of these.